The game also includes a proposed final version of the American P-55 Ascender, a prop plane project that was scrapped due to the competition provided by new jet aircraft. Combat Flight Simulator 3 postulates the end of the project and includes a model that might indicate what the finished design might have been like had it been continued. The German Dornier 335s are also included as historical speculation as they were a late model that never saw much action during the war.

To expand further on the theoretical match ups hinted at above, Combat Flight Simulator 3 will also include the first jet fighters from each of the nations. German pilots can try their hand at flying the first jet to see combat, the Me 262. They'll also want to try out the more obscure Gotha 229, shaped like a flying wing and capable of exceeding 600mph. The American and British answers to the German threat come in the form of the P-80 Shooting Star and the de Havilland Vampire (actually the second of Britain's jets after the Meteor, which is not included here).

This also marks the series' first attempt to really tackle player-flown medium bombers. These medium bombers, the B-25 Mitchell for the Brits, the B-26 Marauder for the Yanks and the Junkers 88s for the Jerrys, all come with multiple gun positions and allow you to jump freely from back and forth among them and the cockpit. The autopilot takes over while you're gunning, while the AI mans the guns you're not covering. (They're stunningly accurate but still need a tweak or two; the anti-aircraft guns on the main game screen keep shooting down the plane parked on the runway.)

Flying nap of the earth affords you the opportunity to check out the terrain modeling. Like some of the targets the details only come in to existence once you get close enough to see them but the transition from the generic terrain of 12,000 feet and the individual trees visible at 350 feet is smooth and natural. You get a much better sense of speed at this height and the density of objects reinforces this impression of momentum.

Things are no less impressive in the sky. Real volumetric clouds reinforce the reality of the scene but also provide some intriguing tactical possibilities. Their depth and volume make them ideal spots to seek refuge or to stage an ambush.

The amazing appearance of the planes has always distinguished the Combat Flight Simulator series from its competitors and this version is no different. The remarkable level of detail is more impressive given that the game now features many more planes than ever before. The models are all thoroughly rendered with numerous details apparent everywhere. And the models are intricately tied to the damage system as well so you'll see the effects of damage on the model and the handling of the plane will change. No tail = no flying.

To give a little character to the story part of the campaigns, Combat Flight Simulator 3 asks you to choose to follow the outline of the lives of pre-loaded pilots. The American careers parallel the experiences of three pilots. The wonderfully named Woodrow Wilson Walker is a Missouri farmboy who's fiercely calm in combat. Ray Miller is a fisherman with a boxer's build. His experience crop dusting has given him skills to fly low. Gardiner Elliott rounds out the American careers. The generous son of a wealthy Boston family shows a courage that would seem merely reckless were it not for the results he achieves.

On the RAF side, you can fly parallel to the careers of Sergeant Pilot John Briggs, a working-class man who rose from humble origin to life with the 401 Squadron at Biggin Hill. Pilot Officer Geoffrey Milne-Less is an upper-class pretty boy who always remains composed. Finally there's the hearty New Zealander Sergeant Pilot Keith Mackenzie, as equally at home in the outdoors as he is in the cockpit.

The German pilots include Johannes "Hanni" Wendler, a youthful incarnation of the Aryan stereotype -- handsome, blond hair, blue eyes -- who goes from childlike exuberance on the ground to grim determination in the air. Wolf-Dietrich von Preussen is the son a Prussian aristocrat who flew with the first great German pilots. Wolf-Dietrich has inherited his father's chivalrous streak and shows his honor to ally and enemy alike. Heinz Winkel is the last of the pilots. Firm in both body and temperament he's come far from his underprivileged roots.

That's a lot to cover already but we've got much more in store. Starting next Monday we'll be bringing you the first of three comprehensive weekly features detailing the aircraft of the three nations of Combat Flight Simulator 3. Check back then for further information and more media.